CNN’s Jim Sciutto: We Asked Dozens Of GOP Lawmakers To Appear And Only One Said Yes

CNN’s Jim Sciutto: We Asked Dozens Of GOP Lawmakers To Appear And Only One Said Yes

A day after President Donald Trump caused widespread and global outrage for standing next to Russian President Vladimir Putin and siding with the authoritarian ruler on the issue of Russian election interference, many Republicans on Capitol Hill have issued statements expressing criticism and disappointment over the remarks. At the same time, GOP politicians have preferred to avoid the press if at all possible amid the fallout over the disastrous summit.

Just ahead of a CNN interview with Rep. Ryan Costello (R-PA), correspondent Jim Sciutto pointed out just how difficult it was to get Republican lawmakers to show up to discuss the president throwing his intelligence community under the bus in order to provide cover for Putin.

“So our viewers know, we reached out to dozens of Republican lawmakers today to speak — to react to the president’s comments,” Sciutto said. “I want to thank you for being the only one who said yes.”

Asked for his reaction to the president’s joint press conference, Costello didn’t mince words, saying he was “embarrassed.”

“I think that I was outraged because I think that in all my years of having a tremendous respect for the institution of the presidency and its role around our globe,” Costello explained. “I’d never seen a more pathetic and weak display of American leadership as a president.”

He continued, “And it’s not explainable. It’s not defensible. and it’s something we should view, I think, with outrage and ask serious questions as to why our president would somehow cast doubt or create some equivalency between Vladimir Putin’s denial and the very substantive investigative powers of our law enforcement and intelligence communities, which made a determination and issued an indictment that Russia did interfere in the 2016 election.”

Sciutto’s note that GOPers avoided coming on the air today comes after CNN’s Erin Burnett pointed out that former NSC spokesman Michael Anton canceled his appearance because he said he couldn’t defend the president’s actions.

Watch the clip above, via CNN.

Justin Baragona

Justin Baragona is the founder/publisher of Contemptor and a contributor to The Daily Beast. He was previously the Cable News Correspondent for Mediaite and prior to starting Contemptor, he worked on the editorial staff of PoliticusUSA. During that time, he had his work quoted by USA Today and BBC News, among others. Justin began his published career as a political writer for 411Mania. He resides in St. Louis, MO with his wife and pets.

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